title: Cognitive susceptibility to smoking and initiation of smoking during childhood: a longitudinal study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The earlier the onset of cigarette smoking the greater the risk of addictive smoking. Because smoking initiation is occurring at ever younger ages, early onset of smoking is primarily a childhood phenomenon. In this study cognitive susceptibility to smoking was examined as a risk factor for childhood onset of cigarette smoking. This was the first prospective investigation of cognitive susceptibility to smoking as a predictor of smoking initiation by children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three annual surveys were completed by 788 children who, at baseline, were in the third or fifth grade and had never puffed on a cigarette.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, 51% of children had either single or multiple indicators of susceptibility to smoking. Over 2 years, children with single indicators of susceptibility were 80% more likely to initiate smoking, and children with multiple indicators of susceptibility were four times as likely to initiate smoking as nonsusceptible peers. Susceptibility was a stronger predictor of initiation than all other predictors examined, including exposure to family members and friends who smoke cigarettes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among abstinent children ages 8 to 10 years, cognitive susceptibility to smoking was a significant predictor of whether they initiated smoking prior to adolescence. Reducing children's susceptibility to smoking could strengthen efforts to prevent early onset of cigarette smoking.
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 27599-7400, USA. chris_jackson@unc.edu
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jackson
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*